Kushion Bluetooth Speaker review: Not your average Bluetooth speaker

Bluetooth speaker reviews are pretty abundant here on Techaeris but sometimes we get one that’s just a bit different than normal. The Kushion Bluetooth speaker pillow certainly falls into the category of different, but in a good way. The Kushion is probably not going to appeal to some, but to many, it could fit very well into their wants and needs. Read on for the Kushion Bluetooth speaker review and find out if you’ll want to make this part of your home decor.

Specifications

The Kushion Bluetooth speaker pillow has the following features and specifications:

DSP controlled audio

Ultra carbon fabric

8-hour battery life

Long range Bluetooth

Smartphone connect for calls

Onboard controls

Sync 4 Kushion speakers together

Charging port out to charge other devices

Design

With a very modern and curvy design, the Kushion is ideally made to be not only a speaker but a furniture piece. The idea here is for the technology to conform to the room and its surroundings rather than throw a cold piece of metal on a table. The Kushion is made from what the company calls ultra carbon fabric, and the innards are a foam material along with the obvious electronics bits and pieces. The outer shell is black and is visually appealing but I can see that it may not fit every home’s design aesthetic. The pillow is probably going to be most at home in a modern decor style room. Still, it’s much nicer looking than a slab of aluminum on your mantel, coffee table, or TV.

The pillow has all of its controls on one side and they include the following:

DC charge in

AUX in

USB charge out (for smartphones)

Call button

Volume up/down – track ffw/rev

Play/pause

Battery indicator

Microphone

Power button

It’s important to note that this pillow isn’t a traditional pillow and it’s probably not going to give you the comfort to sleep with. The foam materials are as comfortable as they can get and I actually found it pleasant to rest my head on it while watching YouTube laying on the couch. I wouldn’t do that for long hours, you could end up with a stiff neck as the give in the material isn’t great. The design isn’t meant to replace any of your pillows that are meant for comfort, it’s meant to compliment a room and be used for occasional head resting.

Overall the design is pleasing to me. This may not be the case for everyone here as design for a product like this is extremely subjective. The Kushion is comfortable for a short amount of time and it is fun to have the sound right at the back of your head while consuming content. It’s a nice design but I do acknowledge that it’s probably not for everyone.

Ease of Use

There’s absolutely nothing to using the Kushion but simply pairing it via Bluetooth on your device. There are no extra apps or software needed and once you’re paired the first time, you’re paired for good. You can also pair up to four pillows at a time for a more immersive sound. We only had one demo unit so we could not test this feature.

Sound

This was a pleasant surprise indeed. I was preparing myself for okay sound but the Kushion actually sounded really good, considering this is a pillow. The highs and mids are a little more prominent though, I do wish there was more bass here. Overall the sound is really more than adequate and it fills up your living room pretty well. At higher volumes you do get a bit of buzz, but nothing too outrageous and it depends on the style of music you’re listening to.

The sound really shines when you lay your head on it and watch a movie or consume any content. Having the speakers that close to your head, you don’t need to have it crazy loud and it still sounds amazing. Overall, the sound is really great. Yes it does lack some low-end but it doesn’t disqualify it from earning a thumbs up for sound. If you are seeking a much deeper bass sound then the Kushion is probably not for you.

Reception/Call Quality

Bluetooth reception was a bit better than other Bluetooth devices at around 30-40 feet from the device. Walls, corners, and obstacles all play a role in Bluetooth reception so your results may differ. Call quality was okay, not the best, just okay. I could hear callers okay, but callers had a hard time hearing me unless I was very close to the mic. Seriously, I don’t think I’d ever use the call feature on this thing, I generally prefer just to use the phone itself.

Battery Life

Kushion claims 8-hour battery life and that’s just about right. I consistently got about 7.5-8.25 hours of battery life. You will have to remember that battery mileage will vary on volume and distance from Bluetooth source. So keep that in mind.

Price/Value

$299.99USD is a pretty steep price to pay for any Bluetooth speaker. For what the Kushion is, its design, size, materials, and sound, I think the price is fair. It would be nice to see it in the $249.99USD range but even at the current price it still has a lot of value for the right person.

Wrap Up

This speaker isn’t for everyone. This is a niche product that some will love and others will scoff at. For those who think this may be for them, well, it’s a pretty good buy and you shouldn’t be disappointed. The only major gripe is the bass could really use some boosting.

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